Hotels in Palm Beach County had a stellar month in October, according to Smith Travel Research.

Hotels in the county were 63 percent full, up by 10 percent from last October. Rooms commanded rates averaging nearly $119 per night, up 7 percent, the researcher said.

Broward County hotels also saw gains in October, but smaller. Hotels in the county were 69 percent full, up by nearly 5 percent. Rooms commanded rates averaging $115 per night, up 4 percent, said Smith Travel.

Year to date, Palm Beach County hotels have seen occupancy rise about 3 percent and rates 7 percent. Broward County hotels have seen occupancy and rate both rise about 3 percent.

Palm Beach County hotels suffered steeper declines during the recession than Broward inns. That’s partly because Palm Beach County has a greater concentration of high-end resorts, which saw a sharp drop in business travel as a result of the economic slump, hotel analysts said.

The numbers are in, and South Florida hotels fared better this September than last.

But gains differed by county, with Miami-Dade County faring best in the area.

In Broward County, hotels were 59 percent full in the month, up 4 percent from a year ago. Room rates averaged $89 per night, up by 1 percent from a year earlier, said Smith Travel Research.

In Palm Beach County, hotels were 54 percent full in the month, up 6 percent from last year. However, room rates fell 2 percent from a year ago to $97 per night, Smith Travel said.

In Miami-Dade County, hotels were nearly 67 percent full for the month, up nearly 1 percent from last year. Room rates averaged almost $122 per night, up nearly 1 percent from a year ago, the research group said.

More good news for South Florida tourism: Hotels in the area hosted more guests paying higher rates in July than a year ago, according to Smith Travel Research.

In Broward County, hotels were nearly 71 percent full in July, up 4 percent from last year. Guests paid an average $95 per night for stays in July, up nearly 2 percent from a year earlier, Smith Travel said.

In Palm Beach County, hotels were 61 percent full in July, up 3 percent from last year. Guests paid an average $110 per night for stays in July, up 5 percent from last year, said Smith Travel.

Hotels in Broward and Palm Beach counties in May posted their best occupancy since 2006 and their highest average prices since 2008, according to a new report from hotel specialists Smith Travel Research.

In Broward, hotels averaged 68 percent full in May, up marginally from a year ago. Average rates were nearly $111 a night, up 4 percent from last year, the researcher said.

Year to date through May, Broward hotels have been nearly 79 percent full, up 2 percent, at an average daily rate of $131, up 4 percent, the report showed.

In Palm Beach County, hotels averaged 64 percent full in May, up more than 2 percent from a year ago. Average rates were $124 a night, up 3 percent from last year, the researcher said.

Year to date through May, Palm Beach County hotels have been nearly 76 percent full, up almost 2 percent, at an average daily rate of $167, up nearly 6 percent, the report showed.

South Florida hotels are rebounding from the depths of recession, helped by a jump in international travelers, plus a slowdown in new hotel construction that has limited the number of rooms available for visitors, analysts say.

For consumers, some ways to secure good deals include booking for slow days of the week and in slow seasons; signing up with hotel Facebook pages for last-minute deals; and checking Internet shopping sites such as getaroom.com.

So hot that greater Miami had the most expensive hotel rooms on average among the top 25 U.S. tourism markets in February, according to hotel specialists Smith Travel Research.

Hotels in greater Miami averaged $200.85 a night in February, up 9.2 percent from a year earlier. That beat out the average rates even at New York City hotels at $188.86 a night, up 1.3 percent from the previous year, said Smith Travel.

Of the 25 major markets nationwide, greater Miami ranked No. 2 in hotel occupancy, with rooms nearly 84 percent full in February. It trailed only Oahu Island in Hawaii, where hotels were nearly 88 percent full in February, the report said.

In greater Palm Beach County, hotels averaged nearly $187 a night in February, up nearly 7 percent. Hotels were nearly 83 percent full for the month, said Smith Travel.

Helping drive South Florida’s growth: a recovering U.S. economy and strong international tourism, especially from Brazil, Argentina, Germany and other nations with faster growth and stronger currencies than the United States.

South Florida hotels reported their best January in years, new numbers from Smith Travel Research show.

In Broward County, hotels were 80 percent full at an average daily rate of $132 for the month. That’s up from 74 percent full at $125 a night last year. It’s the best January occupancy since 2006 and the best January rate since 2009 for Broward hotels, Smith Travel data shows.

In Palm Beach County, hotels were 74 percent full at an average daily rate of $162 for the month. That’s up from 70 percent full at $151 a night last year. It’s the best January occupancy since 2006 and best January rate since 2009 for Palm Beach County hotels, the numbers show.

For consumers, the strong showing mean it’s harder to find South Florida hotel bargains in the peak travel season.

To get deals, hoteliers suggest you try to reserve early or last-minute; visit during weeks when there are no holidays or school vacations; stay weekdays instead of weekends; and check Facebook among other sites for specials.

Any other suggestions to secure the best deals on South Florida hotels in winter? Please let us know.

Experts predict an increase in U.S. travel this year and higher room rates at hotels.

So, if you’re looking to save a bit, especially now that gas costs nearly $4 a gallon, consider these travel deals:

Across Florida, the Marriott hotel chain is offering savings up to 25 percent on room rates at 31 JW Marriott, Renaissance and Marriott Hotels & Resorts in Florida when you book by May 13 for travel between May 15 and Sept. 30.

Room rates start at $89 a night. Blackout dates and other restrictions may apply.

In southwest Florida, the area known a the Paradise Coast, including Naples and Marco Island, is offering summer deals through its Paradise Perfectly Priced program, available at www.paradisecoast.com/deals. Visitors also can obtain a free Preferred Pass card, optimized to work with smart phones, for a deals at attractions, restaurants, retail outlets and tour companies.

In the Bahamas, the Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort is offering a $300 air fare credit, a free night’s stay and other perks on bookings made by May 9 for travel through Dec. 22 for a minimum four-night stay, double occupancy. The credit applies on a flight to Nassau from the United States or Canada for a companion traveler on the same flight.

Stay at least four nights at the resort, and you get the 4th night free; stay five nights or more, and you also get a $100 food and drink credit; or stay six nights to get a $200 food and drink credit.

For U.S. hotels overall, Smith Travel Research expects occupancy to rise about 2 percent and room rates about 4 percent this summer compared to a year ago. Florida and New York will be especially popular destinations for the summer, the group said.

Do you have any suggestions to save on travel this summer? Please let us know.

February results for South Florida hotels are in, and the numbers show that hosting the Super Bowl matters.

While more rooms were full this February than last, as the U.S. economy improved, the price per room dropped in both Broward and Miami-Dade counties — without the high-spending visitors that attend the annual football chamiponship, the data shows.

Palm Beach County did not host a significant number of visitors for the Super Bowl becuse of its distance from the football venue near the Broward-Dade county line.

In Broward, the percentage of rooms full in February this year rose to 83.6 percent, up 2.4 percent from last year. But the average daily rate fell to $136.10, down 9.8 percent –without the Super Bowl visitors, according to the latest monthly data from Smith Travel Research of Henderson, Tenn.

In Miami-Dade, the percentage of rooms full in February this year rose to 82.1 percent, up 4.3 percent from last year. But the average daily rate dropped to $183.43, down 8.5 percent — without the game, said Smith Travel.

In Palm Beach County, occupancy rose to 82.4 percent, up 5.3 percent from last year. Average daily rate also rose to $173.66, up 4.1 percent from a year earlier, Smith Travel said. Still, the average rate in Palm Beach County trails pre-recession levels at $218.80 in Feb. 2008, the data shows.

“The SuperBowl made a noticeable difference,” especially since it combined last year with the National Football League’s annual all-star Pro Bowl game held Jan. 31 in South Florida, said Kathleen Davis, president of West Palm Beach-based Sport Management Research Institute, which does economic impact studies on sporting events.

“Some hotel rates were 125 percent or 140 percent above where they normally are because of the games, even though that time is peak season in South Florida,” Davis said. “And the impact lasted as long as 10 days in February,” because some visitors stayed over from the Pro Bowl or stayed after the Super Bowl held on Feb. 7, she added.

The average daily rate at hotels nationwide is expected to rise 4.2 percent to $102.21 by the end of this year. And it should rise 6.8 percent more to $109.16 by the end of next year, the group forecast.

“While it may be the second half of 2011 before we begin to see rapidly accelerating room rates, by the time we get to 2012, we now expect room rate growth to rival the boom years of 2006 and 2007,” Smith Travel’s Chief Executive Mark Lomanno said in a statement.

Rates vary widely by market within the United States, with demand strongest in such locales as New York City.